DHAKA – The domestic cricket is set to resume in Bangladesh after a Covid-19-induced one-year break with the National Cricket League (NCL) which is set to roll onto the ground tomorrow at different venues across the country.
The 22nd edition of the NCL, one of the main first class tournaments in the country, is branded as Bangabandhu 22nd National Cricket League to commemorate the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman. In fact all of the events of the BCB will be named after Bangabandhu in Mujib 100 year.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) organized two tournaments-a three-team BCB President’s Cup and five-team Bangabandhu T20 Cup last year in Covid-19 time but those two tournaments included the players of the national team and some promising players. So the NCL is literally the first domestic tournament in Covid-19 time.
The BCB had already released the itinerary of the first two rounds of the league. Eight teams-seven divisions of the country and Dhaka Metro– were divided into two Tiers, based on their result in the previous edition of the league.
Defending champions Khulna, Sylhet, Dhaka and Rangpur are in the Tier-1 while Rajshahi, Chattogram, Dhaka Metro and Barishal are in the Tier-2.
As per the rules, the bottom team of the Tier-1 will be demoted to Tier-2 in next edition while the best team of Tier-2 will be promoted to Tier-1.
However, four matches-two in Tier-1 and two in Tier-2–will be held from March 22-25. Khulna will take on Sylhet in Tier-1 game at Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium in Khulna while in another Tier-1 game, Dhaka will face off Rangpur in BKSP-4 ground.
Rajshahi will host Chattogram at their Shaheed Kamruzzaman Stadium in Tier-2 game while Barishal will lock horns with Dhaka Metro at their venue Barishal Divisional Stadium in another Tier-2 match.BSS
